Ophrys and some others! 2011

[SteveC2]

The first of my little Ophrys collection opened this morning and it just happens to be one of my favourites, Ophrys speculum.  I love the way the sun shines on the blue mirror.  Several more to come in the next few weeks but I was wondering if there any other Ophrys fans out there.  At the shows I always seem to get someone who declares "I'd rather see them growing in the wild".  Of course this applies to just about everything, except the man-made hybrids and well wouldn't we all, but not everyone can spend the spring touring Europe, or even Southern England.  We have plenty of Bee Orchids, O. apifera, around here and I love photgraphing them, but that's no reason not to grow them.  So here's the start of my little gallery, which if you join in, might become a big one!  

[Tony Willis]

hi Steve that speculum is very nice,not one I grow. I have a few,they are not easy to get hold of and usually very expensive. Here are two
 Ophrys lutea
and if I can expand the topic a little an
Orchis anatolica

[daveyp1970]

Tony i used to get my bee orchids from orchids by post if you email them they still might do them,the website still running.

[Tony Willis]

David thank you my budget for this year is fully spent

[SteveC2]

My two luteas are well behind yours Tony, nice spikes showing but no flowers yet, but that's another favourite of mine.  I suppose you might say Ophrys are expensive, particularly as few seem to be inclined to bulk up, but it's all relative, especially when you see some of the prices which snowdrops are fetching!  Sphegodes or sicula will be my next flowers.  I'll keep you posted.

[Maren]

Nice hardies, keep them coming, please.

[Paul T]

Steve and Tony,

Thanks for the pics of these little gems.  The blue "mirror" on that first one is so cool.  Incredibly rare genus here in Aus, but I have some seed of one species to try, so fingers crossed.  I've seen one in person at Otto's place in Victoria, but that is the only one I have ever seen in real life.  They're so very, very cool.

Keep em coming, everyone. 

[SteveC2]

My sicula is in the process of opening.  The books describe it as a small lutea and they are so right.  The flower is about 9mm x 7mm, hence the difficulty in photographing it.  The wind which is making the entire greenhouse wobble doesn't help!

[Tony Willis]

Steve windy here as well. I may as well say that I do not hold with any of these numerous names that have been given to the ophrys and that I look at these particular ones as lutea. Every year when I go to the local AGS show the same plants appear with new names. I have seen hundreds in the field and in a few square yards can see dozens of 'species'. You can lie down amongst them with a handbook and have difficulty deciding what they are.It makes money for those selling them.

Having said that I find it quite interesting that on the ophrys and orchis so many of the flowers are upside down when they open.

[SteveC2]

Couldn't agree more about the names.  I thought that the whole point of the scientific naming system was to make it easier for people to communicate about the plants, changing them every few years does not help anyone.  But, who is right?  I have one book listing 17 species of European Ophrys with many subspecies, another listing 252 species, and others falling in between.  As for the sicula, call it lutea by all means, but it is very different to my "luteas", so is it just a genetically weedy plant or a different species?  You pays your money and takes your choice!
Fact is I just think it's cute, so let's just call it a yellow Ophrys.

[Tony Willis]

Steve I agree it is very cute. I look forward to seeing some of your other ones. I have about six 'lutea'in flower at the moment and will try and post some pictures tomorrow for comparison.They do seem very variable in stature but I am not sure if this is not down to my cultivation methods for good or bad. Lutea is in fact one which has self seeded in my plunge a few times.

[Tony Willis]

Two more Ophrys lutea which as Steve says are difficult to photograph and an
Orchis papilionacea

[SteveC2]

Another Ophrys open today, but when it comes to names this one is a humdinger.  I'll just call it a "sphegodes" type as there are so many species which look so similar.

[Maren]

Steve,

I can't help with the name but it is a fabulous picture. 

[Tony Willis]

Steve that is wonderful and a great picture.